Riversdale businesses ‘blindsided’ by Saskatoon homeless initiatives

While a blizzard threatened outside, Saskatoon city council endured an icy blast inside city hall from a Riversdale business leader over its homeless initiatives.

Ephithymia Kutsogiannis, who operates a dental office in the neighbourhood and chairs the Riversdale Business Improvement District, appeared by video Wednesday to criticize city hall for a lack of consultation on locating services for homeless people in the community and neighbouring Pleasant Hill.

Kutsogiannis, whose office has been located in Riversdale for 34 years, said the district was not consulted or informed about the location of a warming centre at a former restaurant at 325 Avenue C South.

City officials did discuss the move with Maj. Gordon Taylor of the Salvation Army, which operates a shelter next door to the site, and Taylor told them it was a “bad idea,” Kutsogiannis said.

“It is this lack of transparency, lack of accountability, lack of communication to the business community of Riversdale that ignited my need to reach out,” Kutsogiannis said. 

“Riversdale and Riversdale [business district] deserves to be treated with respect.”

A 2014 report showed Riversdale had a higher concentration of social agencies than any other part of the city, and Riversdale merchants have been “blindsided continually” with the homeless initiatives, she said.

Kutsogiannis called for a halt on locating homelessness services in Riversdale and an end to the warming centre once its lease expires at the end of March. Council approved Wednesday a reduced-rate lease to the province, which will contract the operation of the drop-in warming centre to the Saskatoon Tribal Council.

She also wants the Prairie Harm Reduction supervised consumption site moved from its location along 20th Street in Pleasant Hill, she said. City administration officials said city hall lacks jurisdiction over the operation of such agencies.

“The city is treating this as a west-side problem,” Kutsogiannis said of addiction and homelessness. People have left Riversdale due to the “chaotic” environment and travel back to the district for services, she said.

A business that operated for 75 years in the district has closed due to safety concerns, Kutsogiannis added.

She also mentioned the city’s proposed purchase of six properties in Riversdale, in Pleasant Hill and on the western cusp of Riversdale using money from the federal government to address homelessness and encampments.

A city report says the properties will be used for supportive housing and that one could serve as a site for homelessness services. Council approved the purchases Wednesday. Council heard that the city will sell the vacant land to partners who will then build housing or provide other services.

Earlier this week, several tents on the property at 20th Street and Avenue K South were buried under snow, suggesting a former encampment.